The shooting ended in the early evening, as Jo Sung-hyun had said.
After the shooting, Yumi changed into comfortable clothes and shook her head tiredly.
"Good job."
Jo Sung-hyun said that and handed a bottle of water to Yumi.
Yumi drank the water and blinked.
"What about the new manager?"
"Hyun-ah?"
"Yes. I think that was her name."
"She went to the car. She said she would take it out in advance."
"But why do you have a new manager all of a sudden?"
Yumi asked as she walked with Jo Sung-hyun.
Jo Sung-hyun shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm quitting, so I need someone to take some of the work I was doing for now. Please be nice to Hyun-ah. She's a capable person."
"...Quitting?"
"Yes. I want to spend more time with Chae-yoon."
"Wow, you're using a gabolgi to make me not stop you."
"Gabolgi?"
"An unstoppable skill. You don't know this?"
"I've never heard of it before."
"Oppa, be honest. You don't have any friends, do you?"
Yumi looked at Jo Sung-hyun with a playful expression.
Jo Sung-hyun also smiled lightly.
"Yes, I don't. I think I had some before."
He didn't contact his friends because he was working, and naturally he didn't interact with them.
It was natural.
He couldn't even take care of his daughter properly, let alone have time to meet his friends.
"What, do I have to be your friend?"
Yumi giggled and flicked her finger.
"Ah, oppa."
"Yes, Yumi."
"Then, to celebrate your freedom when you quit, how about having a party or something?"
"A party? Oh, no... That would be a disaster."
Jo Sung-hyun shook his head.
A party to celebrate quitting.
That's stressful.
Quitting wasn't a good thing, and it didn't seem like something to have a party with the company people.
"Why? Just a small one, with the team leader, you, me... and Chae-yoon."
"That sounds okay. I'll buy you dinner then. It's not a party, but."
"Wow! No, I'll buy you dinner. How much have you done for me, and asking you to buy me dinner? I'd be so conscienceless."
Yumi insisted that she had to buy it.
In the end, Jo Sung-hyun had to raise his hands.
"Okay. Whatever you want, Yumi."
"Then I'll buy it!"
Yumi said brightly.
She maintained a light mood until she got to the car.
When they got to the parking lot, they saw Jang Hyun-ah waiting with the car out.
"Hyun-ah, I'll drive."
"Okay."
Jang Hyun-ah moved to the passenger seat without a word.
Yumi, who had been in a bright mood until before they arrived at the parking lot, didn't open her mouth after getting in the car.
Feeling the heavy atmosphere, Jo Sung-hyun glanced at Yumi, who was sitting in the back seat and quietly looking at her smartphone, and focused on driving.
Jang Hyun-ah, who felt the heavy atmosphere, also kept her mouth shut.
"You did a great job today, Yumi."
"You too, oppa."
Yumi smiled and greeted him.
It didn't seem like there was anything wrong.
Jo Sung-hyun greeted her and returned to the company.
He parked the car and turned his head to look at Jang Hyun-ah.
"It must have been hectic on your first day, right?"
"No, it was much better than I thought. Thank you for teaching me well, senior."
"From next week, it will be a bit tougher, so be prepared... And even if you feel like quitting, please hang in there a little bit. Then you'll be able to achieve your dream, Jang Hyun-ah."
Jo Sung-hyun said that and lightly clapped his hands.
"Well, then, let's go home."
And so, that day's work came to an end.
* * *
Jo Sung-hyun headed straight to the kindergarten.
The familiar scenery greeted him.
Chae-yoon was playing the piano.
Her calm piano performance flowed gently.
It was a familiar melody.
Wasn't this Yumi's new song?
She must have played it here as well, as she did during the last shooting.
They had to be careful about leaks before Yumi's comeback, but no one would say anything about her playing at the kindergarten.
The song ended before he knew it.
Chae-yoon was sitting quietly in front of the piano.
She seemed to be contemplating.
As she did, Min Eun-jung, the teacher, approached Jo Sung-hyun.
"Hello, sir."
"Yes, teacher. Chae-yoon is playing the piano again today."
"Whenever she has a moment, she sits in front of the piano. That's why she seems to play better than before."
"Is that so?"
"Our principal even said that Chae-yoon should participate in a piano competition, so we're preparing separately at the academy."
"Oh..."
"If Chae-yoon participates in a competition or something similar, please let us know in advance."
"Yes. I'll let you know if she does."
At Min Eun-jung's cheerful words, Jo Sung-hyun could only nod in response.
It wasn't the right time to say that she wasn't attending the academy.
He quietly watched Chae-yoon playing the piano.
She played well.
'Will she really participate in a competition?'
If Chae-yoon participates in a piano competition, what kind of result will come out?
He was secretly curious.
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